In my early twenties, I decided optimistically to pursue a career in modelling. The fact that I didn’t have the necessary qualifications – good looks and an amazing body – didn’t deter me. Alas, my short-lived career consisted of a handful of jobs. The most glamorous were an in-store catwalk show for Harvey Nichols and appearing as “adoring admirer of pretty lady” for a photoshoot in Cosmopolitan magazine. The less fêted were “man at end of bar drinking” in a British Gas advert, modelling “injured soldier No 2” for a painting commissioned by the Imperial War Museum and, finally, having my feet photographed for a shoe brand’s summer sandals sale.
If you wish to look polished in your sandals this month, rather than galumph along the pavements or poolside with hobbit-like hoofs, you will need feet that are handsome and healthy. And to achieve this you should take your footcare to a whole new level and book a medi-pedi – a medical pedicure.
Men who wear tough shoes and play a lot of outdoor sports are particularly prone to developing hard skin on their feet. Dry skin can also be a problem after hot holidays or because of a lack of natural oils in the diet. Meanwhile fungal infections can be caused by sweat or hiking socks that don’t breathe, or picked up in gym changing rooms.
For true insight, I sought expertise in a part of the country where human feet are put to the ultimate test each year: in and around the Lake District. If the pedicure maestros up there didn’t know how to deal with the creeping cuticles, dry skin, cracked heels and unsightly calluses of hikers in the rain-sodden fells, then nobody would.
It was in Carnforth, just south of the Lakes, that I discovered the Footlogix Pediceutical treatment at the cutting-edge Sue Shields Spa. Footlogix, a Toronto-based company founded by the podologist Dr Katharin von Gavel, has invented mousse-based products that really work to rescue and enhance your feet. They are free from synthetic oils so the active ingredients – such as moisturising carbamide, also known as urea, and the antimicrobial algae extract Spiraleen – can penetrate the epidermis, the top layer of skin, and hydrate it without blocking it with a greasy layer.
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And thankfully, the spa has developed a treatment that deals with pretty much any pedi-problem. First, feet are soaked in a formula containing a small amount of salicylic acid to cleanse and soften. Then they’re rubbed with a gentle exfoliator containing seaweed and essential oils to get rid of dead skin cells and nourish new ones. A callus softener is applied to calluses, toenails and cuticles and the skin is rubbed down with a double-sided file. Finally, after a moisturising mousse has been smoothed on to the skin, a cuticle softener is applied and the cuticles are trimmed. This shapes the nail and helps to prevent the spread of bacteria. Nails are cut using clippers, not scissors, for a better finish. The whole treatment takes about 70 minutes and ideally would be repeated by a professional once a month (or you could use some of the techniques and products more regularly at home). By the end your feet will be soft, smooth and callus-free.
So whether you’re climbing a mountain in Cumbria or on to a bar stool on Ibiza, I would recommend you treat yourself to a full medi-pedi. It is comfortable and comforting to have feet that look and feel in such good nick. Even if you’re not a top foot model like me.
The Footlogix Pediceutical treatment costs £65 at Sue Shields Spa in Carnforth, sueshields.co.uk; Footlogix products are available at coconailbar.com
Five of the best pedicures in London
You need to book well in advance to secure an appointment with the sought-after pedicure-podiatrist Bastien Gonzalez at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel. Feet look healthy and nails natural but neat when he’s finished with them.
From £115, mandarinoriental.com
Margaret Dabbs Foot Clinic & Nail Spa in Marylebone is renowned for its medical pedicures, delivering no-nonsense fixing with finesse.
From £90, margaretdabbs.co.uk
If you’re looking for somewhere to restore the feet of a pedicure-reluctant male partner, book an appointment at The Refinery in Mayfair. Calluses will be eliminated, dry skin eradicated, cuticles reclaimed. The perfect pick-me-up for feet that really should be sent to rehab.
From £49, the-refinery.com
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Footopia in Chelsea has a number of treatments that will ready even the most bashed-up toes to enter polite society once again. If you don’t want a polish, book the Podiatry/Medical Pedicure Treatment.
From £82.50, footopia-london.com
Townhouse Nails at Harrods offers a luxurious pedicure that includes everything from cuticle care and hard-skin filing to callus treatment, nail shaping and a massage. Soles are even buffed with a black volcanic sand scrub that contains mother of pearl. A nail polish is included if desired.
£200 for 100 minutes, harrods.com
